TORONTO – A new proposal could allow do-it-yourself investors to get more support from dealers currently restricted from doing so.
The Canadian Investment Regulatory Organization (CIRO) says proposed changes to its rules could help create more reliable sources of information as investors are increasingly relying on social media, forums and so-called finfluencers for education.
The organization says the changes would mean that order-execution-only dealers like online trading platforms would have more freedom to provide more supports like educational resources, sample portfolios and self-assessment tools.
Alexandra Williams, senior vice-president of stakeholder protection at CRIO, says relying on unverified source of information could put investors at serious risk of financial harm.
She says the new approach gives dealers more flexibility to innovate while maintaining safeguards, which would include avoiding material conflicts of interest and making the limitations of any supports clear to clients.
CIRO is accepting comments on the proposal until Nov. 10 and has flagged updating the rules as a priority for 2026.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug 12, 2025.
